Giving and Receiving Criticism

While criticism might be perceived as an ugly thing, it can also be used as a tool to effect a behaviour change for the better in the workplace. Here’s a brief guide on how you can use criticism to your and your organisation’s betterment.

There are two ways in which you may encounter criticism – one being where the comments are flying off your mouth and the other one being where you yourself are the target of the flack. Let us first discuss the former.

Delivering Criticism

No matter how deep your fondness for diplomacy is, it is a known fact that sooner or later, you will have your rendezvous with the uncomfortable situation of pulling up one or more of your workmates and setting them right. But this potentially awkward situation can be turned into a pleasant one if you remember a few things.

Criticize for The Right Reasons

Always ask yourself the all important ‘why?’ before you come down on someone. If it’s because of a personal grudge, then forget it, buddy. Professional criticism is not a tool to settle personal scores. Criticise if only you’re doing it for the right reasons and not just to satisfy your whimsical preferences. If your colleague doesn’t share your enthusiasm for keeping the pencils in the pencil stand, so be it. If, however, his work ethics are affecting productivity, let it rip.

Start Right

Often, the way you start your diatribe dictates the whole experience. So before you set about criticising someone, take a minute and mentally rehearse the delivery and also visualise the listener’s response. Pay careful attention to the tone of your voice and your facial expression, for they determine 70% of the conversation. If it helps, you may start with ‘I would have made the same mistake…’ The listener might just take your comments a lot more seriously after this show of empathy.

Disguise The Criticism

Remember that the sole purpose of criticism is bringing about a change for the better. So make sure that whatever you say is constructive, even if you have to disguise the criticism. By disguising, I mean suggesting a better way to get something done, instead of dwelling on the mistakes. The person might not even recognise the underlying criticism, but as long you’ve put your point across, who cares?

Check Your Attitude

Always keep in mind that criticism is basically making a judgement for the sake of improvement and not a way of laying down your authority. So think of the person you’re addressing as an equal. Putting yourself in his/her shoes may be a good idea to understand the situation better and leave some room for the listener to explain his/her actions. It is also a good idea to criticise in private and praise the person in public. And yes, smile! Trust me, this will only make the interaction a lot more pleasant.

Watch What You Say

Also pay special attention to the words you are using instead of just shooting from the lip. Criticism is not a negative word and make sure that the phrases that you use to criticise aren’t too negative either. Refrain from using words like ‘never’ or ‘always’ and stay clear on commenting on the character traits of the listener, for that will only lead to the interaction going sour. Often people let emotions take over and dwell a little too much on the mistakes whereas focussing on the present is a far more effective way of bringing about the right kind of change. So, instead of putting too much emphasis on the past, concentrate on how things are to be done at present.

Follow Up

Okay, so you have followed all the guidelines and your interactions have gone through smoothly. Well, don’t rest on this laurel as you don’t yet know whether your comments have really made any difference. The only way to find out is to follow up. And make sure that your expectations are realistic; else you only stand to be disappointed. So, the next time you are required to criticise someone, don’t shun the so called ‘dirty work’. Instead, use it as an opportunity to improve performance and enhance your relationship with the co-worker. Receiving Criticism Now, this is a situation there is no running away from. No matter how good you are, there will always be someone finding faults with your method of work. So, instead of fretting over the occasional reproach you can use it to your own advantage if you just remember the following points.

Value Criticism

Before anything else, loose that age-old notion that criticism is a negative thing. Consider it as a gift or an opportunity to make improvements in your career. There are many who get discouraged or even provoked by criticism while you could be one of the few who churn out something positive out of criticism. Moreover, your willingness to accept criticism and work on improving the areas where you have been found wanting, will only highlight the signs of your maturity and professionalism.

Take em’ in The Right Spirit

When rebukes are being hurled at you, the right kind of attitude is the helmet that will help you dodge them. There is no place for ego in the office environment and it surely should not be allowed to show its ugly face when you’re dealing with criticism. Thus, when someone criticises your work, lock your emotions and throw away the key. Then, take an objective look at the content of the criticism and if it seems reasonable, take ownership of the mistakes. For, taking responsibility of the errors is the first step towards correcting them. If you think that the errors deserve an explanation, then go ahead and explain. But take care not to go overboard, for it doesn’t take too long for an explanation to sound like an excuse, or still worse, a denial. And of course, keep that that good ol’ smile fixed on your face (even if it’s a fake one).

Understand the Reason

Once you’re on the receiving end of criticism, it is important to ascertain the root cause. If it seems to rise out of unsubstantiated arguments or simply personal insecurities of the person criticising, then don’t fret about it and get on with your life. But if the criticism concerns your professional abilities, make an added effort to find out the root cause of your mistakes. For that, you may have to ask for specifics, take a second opinion, or even do your own research.

Correct the Mistake

Once you have ascertained the cause for the criticism, waste no time in taking the corrective measures instead of dwelling on the mistakes. How you correct the mistakes throws light on your professionalism and maturity and thus you can use the criticism levelled against you to actually enhance your position in the office structure. If you use these simple guidelines in receiving criticism, you will probably doing yourself a world of good and you will actually see that receiving is far more rewarding than giving. Pun totally not intended.